West Side’s Guiseppe Moore was in his coaches’ ears for weeks.
The 5-foot-7, 160-pound junior wasn’t content playing quarterback only. He wanted to start at defensive back too.
“I told them, ‘Watch me play on both sides of the ball and see how I change the game,'” Moore said.
Moore was granted his wish Friday night, and he delivered 156 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on offense and five tackles on defense to propel the Cougars to a 38-20 road win against River Forest.
Moore was bursting with confidence after the win, which offered the Cougars (2-2) some respite after a 52-12 loss to Boone Grove in Week 3. His individual feats and the team’s success against River Forest validated his belief that an expanded role would ignite the defense as much as his play at quarterback boosts the offense.
“I’ve been telling the coaches to play me on both sides of the ball because I’m a playmaker,” Moore said. “And all I need are players around me that I can get into their heads with the same mindset that I have.”
There’s a contagious confidence in Moore, an unshakable faith in his abilities that West Side coach Alger Boswell attributed to Moore’s wrestling career.
“He’s just hard-nosed,” Boswell said. “He’s a wrestler, and you know those wrestlers are tough as nails.”
Moore has been preparing for this football season since the moment his last wrestling season ended at the Hobart Regional. He knew he had an opportunity for an increased role in West Side’s backfield following the graduation of running back Camajay Griffin-Terrell, who ran for 1,924 yards last season.
“I was grinding to replace what we’d lost so that I could be the next one to help carry the team on my back,” Moore said.
Moore ran for 139 yards on 20 carries against River Forest, sharing the offensive burden with senior running back Omarion Youghbor, who had 172 yards and two TDs on 21 carries. Youghbor often takes direct snaps in West Side’s offense, but Moore’s passing ability provides a dual threat when he’s back there, Boswell noted.
“We knew we’d be able to do some more creative things this year,” Boswell said. “But he’s tough, and he’ll run the ball downhill too.”
Moore’s toughness and intensity aren’t exclusive to Friday nights. He is just as competitive during practices, which he said can make for heated moments between teammates. But it’s all part of what Moore believes West Side needs to replicate its success after going 7-3 in 2022.
“We can fuss and fight at practice, but once we come together, there’s no stopping us,” he said. “We’ve got the pieces — and we’re young too. Once we get that experience, we’re going to be unstoppable.”
That competitive fire has spread to players across West Side’s program, including senior linebacker Jerimya Henderson-Sims. He’s in his first football season after transferring from 21st Century over the summer.
Henderson-Sims said Moore is “one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen,” and he sounded very similar to Moore when he talked about the Cougars’ resilience.
“It’s that mentality of staying locked in, knowing that we have to have a big season,” Henderson-Sims said. “We’re trying to be the underdog because nobody believes in West Side football. We had two tough losses to start the season, and now we’re trying to bounce back and get on that winning stage from last year.”
Moore said he thinks his efforts can help West Side find that success again.
“I want all the players here to feel proud of themselves,” he said. “Too many losses are going to get in their heads, like we’re not good or can’t do much. When I come out, I have to show what we’re about.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
